“Same people that killed Weeks,” Jesse said, “killed Carey Longley.”
“Carey . . . ?”
“His assistant.”
“Oh, yes,” Kennfield said. “Because of the same murder weapon.”
“Because of that,” Jesse said.
“And what haven’t you told the press?” Kennfield said.
“That Carey was ten weeks pregnant with Walton’s kid.”
“Pregnant?”
“Yep.”
6 3
R O B E R T B . P A R K E R
“Is that a holdback?” Kennfield said.
“No,” Jesse said. “We hold back things that only the killer could know, so if someone knows it, it’s a clue. The killer or killers could have known, or not known, and if they knew could have known or not known that it was Walton Weeks’s child. No point in holding it back. Somebody knows it, it proves nothing.”
“Then why didn’t you tell the press?” Kennfield said.
“Saw no good reason to. There’s Weeks’s widow and Carey’s next of kin to think about.”
“Yes, it’s best kept quiet,” Kennfield said. “Lorrie Weeks is a very close friend of the governor, and she has always been as supportive as Walton was.”
“I can’t promise you,” Jesse said. “It may become pertinent, and if so, I’ll blab.”
“That would not endear you to us.”
Jesse nodded.
“We want your cooperation in this,” Kennfield said. Jesse nodded.
“And our cooperation with you can be very helpful.”
Jesse nodded.
“You don’t seem to care,” Kennfield said.
“I don’t,” Jesse said.
“Perhaps we could change that,” Kennfield said.
He stood and walked to the door. With the door half open, he turned back to Jesse.
“Is it something personal?” he said. “Do you dislike the governor?”
6 4
H I G H P R O F I L E
Jesse shook his head.
“I don’t even know the governor,” Jesse said. “It’s you I dislike.”
